1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to pulse wave analysis devices. More particularly, it relates to pulse wave analysis devices that analyze the condition of a living body such as a human body based on pulse waves obtained from the body.
2. Background Art
Because people today are subjected to excessive stress, concerns have arisen about sudden, stress-related death and death from fatigue. There is a pressing need for a means of analyzing such symptoms easily and accurately.
Against this background, the pulse diagnosis as practiced in non-traditional medicine, such as that exemplified by Ayurveda method in traditional Indian medicine and by the Chun, Guan, and Chi method in Chinese medicine has attracted considerable attention. According to this form of pulse diagnosis, a disease can be diagnosed accurately only when the practicing "sage" feels the patient's pulse. It would be extremely useful if the same diagnosis could be performed by a machine.
From the above standpoint there has been a need for an apparatus capable of analyzing physical symptoms by extracting the information contained in pulse waves, and the development of such an apparatus has been studied.